Spring unit



S. A. WALKER SPRING UNIT Filed Dec. 5', 1934 Oct. 18, 1938.

2 Sheets-Sheet l J ig. l

' INVENTOR, ,S/verman 4. War/ker- ATTORNEY.

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S. A. WALKER Oct. 18, 1938.

S PRING UNIT F,iled Dec. 5, 1934' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f 0 MW 4 a m m n Jig.4

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 18, 1938 I UNITED STATES SPRING UNIT Sheridan A. Walker,Newburgh, N. Y., in... to Walker Spring 00., Inc., Newbnrgh, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application December 5, 1934, Serial No. 758,013

8 Claims.

This invention is a spring unit adapted for various uses in the arts,but intended primarily for employment in so-called inner'springmattresses.

Spring units for use in mattresses are generally constructed from alarge number of coil springs secured in spaced relation to one anotherby canvas, tapes or the like with the bottom and top of the unit coveredwith a fabric over which the upholstery in the form of padding or thelike is laid within an appropriate fabric cover. The whole is tufted forthe sake of appearance and to further hold the padding against shifting.

Numerous variations in this conventional way of making mattresses havebeen suggested from time to time, but the same principle, as aboveoutlined, remains the standard practice today. It is open, however, tocertain pronounced disadvantages, chief among which is the tendency ofthe padding to work down into the springs. This is due to the fact that,as a general rule, there is only a fabric interposed between the paddingand the springs, and while the springs bear against the padding oververy restricted areas which constitute substantially line contact, thegreater portion of the padding must be supported by the fabric which indue course sags about the springs and becomes torn or disrupted.

I am aware that attempts have been made to increase the foundation forthe padding by covering the springs with strips of material which wouldincrease the support for the padding, but these proposed devices havenever proved commercial for the reasons well understood by those skilledin the art. For example, they have, in many cases, proven whollyimpractical for use in spring construction. In other cases, the cost wasprohibitive, while, in other cases, the structure was noisy and thusunacceptable for the use stated.

With these considerations in mind, the primary object of the presentinvention is to provide a spring unit embodying coil springs set on endand spaced apart in all cross axial directions by means of metallicbands of resilient material, preferably spring steel. The bands are soplaced as to extend preferably lengthwise of the unit below and abovethe springs and are so placed that adjacent springs overlap the bandsand are secured thereto by an eflicient and highly novel form ofattaching means which anchors each two lateral adjacent springs firmlyto one another and to the strip which mutually overlies them and servesthe further function of spacing the springs apart by a tight grippingaction which eliminates noise.

An important feature of this attaching means resides in the economy ofits manufacture and the ease with which it may be attached manually andwithout requiring the use of tools or complicatedmachinery. The steelbands employed in the use of this invention are sufllciently wide tobridge over appreciable portions of adjacent springs and they arepreferably spaced 8. distance apart about equal to the width of thebands, so that when a fabric is laid over these -bands the superimposedpadding will be effectually supported against sagging and the springswill be precluded from cutting into the padding.

The spring unit of the present invention also contains a novel form ofedging in order to properly reinforce the edge and preclude saggingthereof. the employment of a resilient metal band, preferably springsteel, threaded through the terminal convolutions of the springs at theedge of the unit and-covered with an envelope held in place by metalclamps which also serve to anchor the edging to the springs.

A highly important practical feature of the invention consists in thesimplicity of the construction, the economy of its manufacture and easeof assembly.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will beapparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when readin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate ,one practical embodiment of theinvention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood asillustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

This novel form of edging consists in.

Figure l is a. fragmental plan view of a portion of a spring unitembodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the structure shown in Figure 1 as viewedfrom the right hand side of the latter figure.

Figure 3 is an edge view of the structure of Figure l, as viewed fromthe bottom of said figure.

Figure 4 is a fragmental perspective view showing the manner of assemblyof the springs and metal bands, as well as the manner of attaching theedging to the springs.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmental perspective showing the manner ofattaching two adjacent springs to a mutually overlapping band. Thisfigure shows a novel clip forming part of the present invention partlyassembled.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 68 of Figure 5.

Figure 'I is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the attachmentcompleted.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure '7.

Figure 9 shows the parts of the clip dismantled and separate from oneanother.

In making the spring unit of the present invention, I employ arelatively large number of coiled springs I. These springs are spacedapart between upper and lower metal bands 2. The bands are preferably ofspring steel. They may extend transversely of the unit or longitudinallythereof, but the latter arrangement is preferred. They are arranged inparallel relation and in a manner so that they transversely bridge theupper and lower ends of laterally adjacent springs I, as shown best inFigures 1 and 3 and they are secured to these laterally adjacent springsby means of a novel form of clip shown best in Figures 5-9 inclusive.

This clip embodies two parts, one of which consists in a retainingmember 3, while the other constitutes a clamping and spacing member 4.The retaining member or retainer 3 is of double hooked cross section;that is to say, it is made with a sheet metal body with the oppositeends returned upon themselves to form opposing hooks 5 with anintermediate gap 5 through which the wire of the spring may be passed.The resulting split tubular structure is punched cross axially toprovide alined slots 1 and 8, the length of which is equal to thedesired spacing apart of adjacent springs, while the internal distancebetween the hooked portions 5 is substantially equal to the length ofthe slots I and 8 plus twice the thickness of the wire from which theresilient coil springs I .are formed. The clamping or spacing memberhereinafter referred to as the clamp and spacer or key 4, is made from astrip of sheet metal which may be readily bent. This strip is bent uponitself to form a head 9 and a tongue III embodying two leaves which maybe separated and bent after the manner of a cotter pin. The width of thestrip from which the clamp 4 is formed is substantially equal to thelength of the slots 1 and 8. The retainer 3 is made relatively rigid andis not intended to be bent at any time, although it may be clamped inplace if desired.

Prior to assembling the parts, each of the bands .2 is punched at spacedintervals to provide slots II corresponding in size and shape to thecross section of the tongues ID of the clamp and spacer, so as to permitthe introduction of such a tongue through each of the slots II. As eachtwo adjacent springs is assembled upon one of the bands 2, the terminalconvolutions of each spring is passed through the gap 6 of a retainerand internally engaged with one of the hooked portions 5 thereof. Inother words, each pair of laterally adjacent springs is brought intohooked relation with an interposed retainer. Thereafter the retainer isbrought into cooperative relation with the band 2, and a clamp andspacer 4 is thereupon forced through the appropriate slot II of the bandso that the tongue I0 passes through the slot in the band andconsecutively through the slots I and 8 in the retainer, as shown inFigures 5 and 6. The two leaves of the retainer tongue III are then bentapart after the manner of splitting a cotter pin and thereupon bent downto clamp the retainer 3 to the band 2, and lock the clamp and spacer 4against removal to complete the assembly. The split locking member 4thus constitutes a key to lock two springs of each retainer and to alsosecure the retainer to one of the bands 2.

To facilitate the introduction of the clamp and spacer 4, the ends ofthe tongues I0 are preferably tapered as shown and as the tongue isforced through the slots I and 8 of the retainer, the tapering end ofthe tongue I0 serves to spread the springs apart and wedge them tightlyinto the hooked portions 5, so that when the key 4 is finally inposition, it spaces the terminal convolutions of the springs I apart andlocks them tightly within the hooked portions 5. To facilitate thebending of the leaves of the tongue III for finally locking the parts inposition, one leaf is preferably somewhat longer than the other as shownin Figure 9.

In practice, I find it entirely feasible to effect the bending of theseleaves by hand so that no tools are required. The key. 4 is sufficientlystrong to carry the lateral strain, while load applied to the springunit is applied in a direction normal to the bands 2 and in thedirection of the springs I, so that there is little if any strain inthis direction and consequently the key 4 may be made relatively lightand yet is well able to carry out its spacing and locking function. Thisstructure is thus a pronounced departure from prior suggestions whereinbending tools and swedging apparatus have been employed to anchor aspring to a band. The practical view of the employment of machinery inthis connection is that it is not feasible to so manufacture a springunit. The springs are set closely together and there is no room to workwith machinery or apparatus for the purpose stated.

After the main portion of the structure is assembled in the mannerdescribed by attaching the springs I and bands 2, as stated, the unit isprovided with an edging. This edging is also in the form of spring steelbands I2. These bands are threaded alternately through the terminalconvolutions of the springs I and over and under the ends of alternatebands 2 to interfit with said parts. This arrangement brings about aninterfitting of the terminal convolutions with respect to the bands 2and I2, as clearly appears in Figure 1, and results in a very strongconstruction. After threading the bands I2, as described, a fabricbinding strip I3 bent medially of its width is folded about the edgingstrips I2 and clamped to these strips by metal clamps I4, best shown inFigures 1 and 4.

One of these clamps is preferably associated with each spring along theedge of the unit and at the top and bottom surface of the unit andserves not only to clamp the binding strip I3 in place, but alsomaintains the edging bands I2 substantially tangential to the springs I,whereby they cannot work loose and project beyond the edging bands I2.The free edges of the binding strip I3 may be left raw or they may behemmed or felled as desired, although they do not need to be sewedtogether as the clamps I4 will effectually hold them in place.

This arrangement is thus not only simple, but economical and producesnevertheless a fine edge well able to withstand hard usage and one whichwill not sag.

The finished unit embodies upper and lower surfaces formed of springsteel bands preferably spaced apart a distance approximating the widthof the individual bands and interposed between these facial bands arethe springs I firmly anchored to the bands and properly spaced apart insuch a way that they cannot become inadvertently disconnected orreleased therefrom.

In incorporating the spring unit in a mattress or other structure, thesame is covered with an appropriate fabric covering and the padding islaid over this covering and in turn enclosed within an appropriateenvelope. The arrangement is such that the padding will be properlysupported by the bands 2 and I2, and will not work down lnbetween thesprings, but will, on the contrary, remain in proper serviceablecondition for years under the most adverse conditions of usage.

It should be further borne in mind that the spring steel bands whichenter into the construction of my invention, while relatively thin, are

sufliciently resilient to properly distribute weight imposed thereon, sothat not only the padding is properly supported, but the wholeconstruction is maintained in proper shape indefinitely.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth this invention in itspreferred practical form, but the invention is to be understood as fullycommensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spring unit comprising two sets of spring metal bands arranged inparallel planes and resiliently spaced apart by interposed coiledsprings having parallel axes and so positioned that each end of eachspring laterally overlaps two bands of one of said sets, means securingthe juxtaposed ends of each two laterally adjacent springs to oneanother and to an overlapping band, a spring metal edging stripinterwoven with respect to the corresponding ends of consecutive springsalong the edge of the unit and over and under alternate bands at theends of the unit, a flexible binding over said strip, and means securingthe said binding to thestrip and the strip to said springs.

2. A spring unit comprising two sets of spring metal bands arranged inparallel planes and resiliently spaced apart by interposed coiledsprings having parallel axes and so positioned that each end of eachspring laterally overlaps two bands of one of said sets, means securingthe juxtaposed ends of each two laterally adjacent springs to oneanother and to an overlapping band, a spring metal edging stripinterwoven with respect to the corresponding ends of consecutive springsalong the edge of the unit and over and under alternate bands at theends of the unit, a flexible binding over said strip, and metal clipssecuring the said binding to the strip and the strip to said springs.

3. A spring clip comprising a metal body, the opposite ends of which arereturned upon themselves to form spaced apart opposed reentrantportions, the base of the body having therein a slot and the returnedends of which also have slots alined with the slot of the body, and asplit key having a head from which projects parallel bendable leavesproportioned to extend through the slots of said body and ends, the freeends of the leaves being bendable to preclude withdrawal of the key.

4. A spring unit comprising cross axially spaced apart rows of coilsprings in each of which said springs are also spaced from one another,slotted sheet metal bands arranged in parallel relation and faciallyoverlying corresponding ends of said springs in parallel relation tosaid rows with each of said bands laterally overlapping the springs oftwo adjacent rows, a.'slotted.retainer having opposed hooks engaged withjuxtaposed ends of each two laterally adjacent springs to precludelateral spreading thereof, and a split locking key having bendableleaves extending through each slot in each band and through the slot inthe associated retainer and bent over to simultaneously secure theretainer to the band and associated springs and laterally space the saidends of the springs apart.

5. A spring unit comprising cross axially spaced apart rows of coiledsprings in each of which said springs are also spaced from one another,sheet metal bands arranged in parallel relation and facially overlyingcorresponding ends of said springs in parallel relation to said rowswith each of said bands laterally overlapping the springs of twoadjacent rows, a retainer having opposed hooks engaged with juxtaposedends of each two laterally adjacent springs to preclude lateralspreading thereof, and a locking key extending through the band andthrough each retainer to simultaneously secure each retainer to the bandand associated springs.

6. A spring unit comprising cross axially spaced apart rows of coiledsprings in each of which said springs are also spaced from one another,sheet metal bands arranged in parallel relation and facially overlyingcorresponding ends of said springs in parallel relation to said rowswith each of said bands laterally overlapping the springs of twoadjacent rows, and a clip securing juxtaposed ends of each two laterallyadjacent springs to one another and to the overlapping band, each clipincluding a plate positioned between the springs and band to space thesprings from the band and provided with hook shaped ends hooked over theterminal convolutions of laterally adjacent springs to preclude theirseparation from one another, said sheet metal bands being individuallyat least substantially as wide as the spaces between laterally adjacentbands.

7 A spring unit comprising cross axially spaced apart rows of coiledsprings in each of which said springs are also spaced from one another,sheet metal bands arranged in parallel relation and facially overlyingcorresponding ends of said springs in parallel relation to said rowswith each of said bands laterally overlapping the springs of twoadjacent rows, and each band having a width approximately equal to theradius of the terminal convolutions of said springs and a clip securingjuxtaposed ends of each two laterally adjacent springs to one anotherand to the overlapping band, each clip including a plate positionedbetween the springs and band. to space the springs from the band andprovided with hook shaped ends hooked over the terminal convolutions oflaterally adjacent springs to preclude their separation from oneanother, said sheet metal bands being individually at leastsubstantially as wide as the spaces between laterally adjacent bands.

8. A spring unit comprising two sets of spring metal bands arranged inparallel planes and resiliently spaced apart by interposed coiledsprings having parallel axes and so positioned that each end of eachspring laterally overlaps two bands of one of said sets, and meanssecured centrally to each band simultaneously securing laterallyadjacent overlapping springs thereto, said sheet metal bands beingindividually at least substantially as wide as the spaces betweenlaterally adjacent bands.

SHERIDAN A. WALKER.

